Forbes Hip-Hop Cash Kings 2015: Drake Made More Than Dr. Dre This Year

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Forbes has finally released its annual “Hip-Hop Cash Kings” list, and the top three earners are a bit more surprising than usual. It should come as no surprise that Diddy is in first place with $60 million, and Jay Z comes in second with a cool $56 million. But rounding out the top three is none other than the “6 God” himself, Drake.

Bringing in $39.5 million, Drake beat out Dr. Dre, who made only $33 million. Dre topped the list last year due to his huge Beats deal with Apple. His checks from Apple haven’t slowed up one bit, but they’re considerably smaller. The report also states that his earnings from Straight Outta Compton won’t reflect his ranking until next year.

Forbes claims that Drake’s wealth comes from his rigorous touring schedule and his endorsements from cash cows like Apple, Sprite, and of course, Nike. The Canadian-born rapper’s gotta be thrilled with this accomplishment as he once stated that making the Forbes list is pretty much “his objective every year.”

Rap heavyweights Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole were ranked 13th and 14th respectively. The only head-scratcher on the list is Ludacris, who pulled in $8 milli, most likely due to his part in Furious 7.